Wateil motor



Dec. 26,. 1922. 1,439,848

'W SMITH. 7 WATER Mo'roR. FILED OCT, 1. 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I PatentedDec. 26, 1922.

1,439,345v PATENT ornca WILLIAM SMITH, or GAINESBORO, TEnNEssEE.

WATER MOTOR.

Application filed. October 1,' 1921. Serial No. 504,714.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that 1, WILLIAM SMITH, a

citizen of the United filt ates, residing at Gainesboro, in the countyof Jackson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in, Vi ater Motors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention has for its purpose to provide a motor of thiskind which may be used to derive power from dams, falls, or currentseither high or low.-

Another purpose is to provide a water motor, wherein the wheel includesa plurality of paddles, foldable, so as to form buckets, so that thewheel may be operated by the force of water from adam or falls, and

when arranged to form paddles, the wheel may operate in a stream ofwater where the current. is swift and adapted .to impinge upon thepaddles or blades;

Still another purpose is the provision of a motor of this kind, whereinapair of floats are employed, the floats being connected together, anddesigned for supporting the frame, which in turn supports the powerwheel, in combination with a flue or chute for directing thewater to thewheel.

A further purpose consists in the provi-v Y s1on ofa water power machineof this-char acter, wherein the power wheel, whether it be an over-shotbucket type wheel, or an under-shot paddle type wheel for watercurrents, may be adjusted, in order to better adapt the wheel to thelevel of the water, or v the direction of the water.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forthare deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction oftheinvention to a more prac-.

tical form. for commercial purposes, the in-.

.vention may be susceptible of changes, and

the right to these changes is claimed, provided they, are comprehendedwithin. the

scope of what is claimed.

The inventioncomprises further features and combination of parts, aswill be herein-- after set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed Inthe drawings':

Figure 1 is a plan View showing the water motor arranged in a stream .sothat the power wheel may be operated by the current of water, showinghow the power is transmitted 10m the shaft of the power" ,which thestream passes.

wheel to machinery (not shown), also showing the housing in horizontalsection;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine as shown in Figure1., showing the housing in vertical section;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the water wheel orpower wheel;

Figure liS an enlarged detail view in ele vation of the means foradjustably supporting the power or water wheel;

' Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the water orpower wheel showing theblades thereof arranged as buckets;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view ofthe water or power wheel, showingthe blades arranged to form buckets with the buckets in section; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the hooksshowing how the blades or paddles are connected to the radial. arms ofthe water wheel.

Referring to the drawings, 1. and desigmain relatively fixed. Also thefloats are spaced so. as to i provide a channel through Connected to thefloats as at 7 sothat they may be moved or adjusted are supports 8forthepower wheel. Pivotally connected to the supports by means of ashaft 9 are links or armslO, in bearings ofthe upper ends of which ashaft 11 is mounted. The shaft 9 rotatably supports the power wheel 12.Pivotally con nected to the shaft 11 are braces 13, which in turnareccnnected at 14 to thefloats. Arms 15 are pivotally mounted on thefloats as at 16, and are in turn pivotally connected to the sleeves 17as at 18. The sleeves are slidably mounted upon the arms or links 10,

and are held in different positions by the nuts 19 and 20, which arethreaded upon the armslO. By adjustingthe nuts 19 and 20 it is obvious.that the arms. 15 may be adjusted relatively to the arms 10, so thatthe arms 10 may be adjusted relatively to the floats, for the purpose ofpositioning the power wheel in lowered or raised positions,

according to the level of water in the stream,

or according to the direction of water from the dam or falls, so thatthe water may be impinged properly upon the blades or 60 p'owe'r fromthe current the paddles are.

paddles, or within the buclletsol the wheel.

A shaft 9 is provided with pulleys 21, which in turn are operativelyconnected to pulleys 22 on the shaft 11, by means cit-the cables orropes23. The shaft 11 is'provided with pulley 2a, which is adapted to beoperatively connected to any suitable niachinery (not shown) foroperatingthe sam by means of a cable or rope 25, whereby powervmaybetransmitted lroni the water motor to the machinerytobe operated.The power wheel comprises a hub portion 27, atraine 28, which consistsotrad-ial pieces 29 and the braces 30. The radial pieces have extensions31, and pivotally connected to the pieces 29 as at 32 are piuldles 33.Each'paddle consists of three sections,

end andintermediate sections 34, 85 and 36. The pieces 34 are plvotallyconnected at to the radial pieces29, while the pieces 35 lateralextensions 37. The pieces 34, $35

and 36 are hingedly united at 38, so that they may be folded to formloucl gets. The outer marginal edges oi. the arms of the power wheel areprovided withhoolts 39, while the longitudinal edges ol the radialpieces have hooks 40. The hoolis 3'9 and l0 are piv'otally mounted onthe frame of the wheel, and are adapted to receive the lateralprojections 87 of the section "35 of the paddles, it depending entirelyupon Whether they are used as paddles, or folded and used as buckets. Asshown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the'paddles are opened, so that the lateralprojections37 engage the books 40, so that the current of the stream ofwater may impinge upon the paddles and impart 'revoluble movements tothe wheel. In order to hold the lateral projections 37 in engagementwith the hooks suitable latches 41 are bolted in position, connecting"the --radial pieces and the ends of the hooks;

As shown in Figure 6 the sections of the paddles are bolted, so thatthey will conform to the angular shape of the extensions '31. In thiscase the lateral projections 37 are engaged With the'hloolrs 89, therebeing latches 42' connecting the frame and the, ends of the hooks,

with which the water from a dam or falls movement to the wheel.

Figure Gthe extensions 31 act as the end pieces'of-th'e bucket, so as toproperly conain the water during with".

its cooperation "there- =Whe n the Water motor is arranged for streams,where it s necessary to derive the opened,fand when the Water motoI-"isarranged for receiving power from falls-or f dams, the buckets.

paddles are arranged toform" Rising upwardly from; the-floats have rthereby holding the paddles folded, 111 such wise as to form buckets isa. suitable bruising Water wheel, and its cooperating partsv in order todirect the water toward the paddles or into thebuclmts, chute walls at,as shown in Figures 1 and 2 are provided.

In some instances the water wheel. is

4:35, for protecting, the

housed as shown in Figure 5, while in other port'the water wheel and arerelatively re 53. The floats l and 2 uyhiclji. supportthehousing haveadditlonal lateral y pro ecting floats o h'to which buoys So ar-econnected as at While only oneoiithe buoys is shown as extending fromone t-lie'lateral floats 5 L towardand connected-to the side o'l. theland by means ot a cable 57, it

ways 60, whereby an operator may walk out upon the chutes, for the,purpose of raising and lowering the gates 5L Rising upwardly fromone"o1':'t'he braces 53 are suitable supports or standards 61 tori-the,

support oi": the levers. 62 which are "con nected to the gates by therods 63;, The

levers may betilted in order "to raise the gates. It is obvious that anyother suitable means may be used for raising and lowering the gates.

It is to be understood that in case of emeragency, for instance in case"of high tide, anywell known springbelt or brake con trolled governors(not shown) "housed in connection with the drive shaft 9 and'thegovernor flywheels 6 1, in forder to control the speed of the wheel.However], ordinarily the governor'fiy' wheels 64L are sufficient. Theinvention having been set" forth, what is claimed as being useful is: f

IJIn a water motor, a float,a driving "power shaft including a waterwheel, sup

ports mounted on the float and ean-37m said shaft, arms connected't'othe-supports, a driven sha'ft'mo'unted on the upper? ends of Said armsandbeing' operajtively conneot'ed to the shaft or the wheel, movablebraces ,connected to 'thenpperl ends of said arms and in turn connected'tdth'e"float,

and additional braces adjustably connected to the arms, for adjustingthe two shafts toward and from the float, thereby regulating theposition of the water Wheel relatively to the water.

2, In a water motor, a float, driving; and driven shafts, means forholding said shafts connected in horizontal relative planes, means forsupporting said shafts adjustably toward and from the float, whereby awater wheel on the driving shaft may sume different positionsrelatively, to the surface of the water, and a water wheel mounted onthe driving shaft.

3. In a water motor, a float, water driving means on the float includinga water Wheel, said wheel comprising a frame including end pieces,blades connected to the end pieces pivotally and comprising threesections and adapted to be disposed, whereby the water may impingetherewith, when the wheel is operating in a stream, for imparting motionto the wheel.

4. In a water motor, a float, a water pro-- pelled mechanism thereonincluding a water wheel comprising end frames, said end frame comprisingradial. arms, sectional blades connected to certain correspondingopposite arms by the two end frames and in turn connected to certainother of the corresponding arms of the end frames, whereby the bladesare held at substantial angles 7 to the axis of the wheel, said bladesbeing foldable and being in turn connected to the same arms to whichthey are pivoted, so as to cause buckets to be formed, when the wheel isoperated by the water from a dam.

5. In a water motor, a water propelled mechanism including a waterwheel, a support for said mechanism, said water wheel having end frames,blades connected to certain corresponding opposite arms of the two endframes, and in turn detachahly c0nnected to certain other of thecorresponding arms of the end frames, said blades comprising foldablesections adapting them to in turn connect to the same arm to which theyare first connected, causing buckets to he formed. a

In testimony whereof I hereunto flflll; my

signature.

WILLIAM SMITH.

